[Illustration: A MAP OF THE RAILWAYS OF SOMERSET]
[Illustration: THE PINNACLES, CHEDDAR]
SOMERSET
By
G.W. WADE, D.D.
and
J.H. WADE, M.A.
_With Thirty-two Illustrations and Two Maps_
"Upon smooth Quantock's airy ridge we roved."
London
Methuen & Co
36 Essex St. Strand
[Illustration: Hand drawn Routes of the Somerset & Dorset Railway]
PREFACE
The general scheme of this Guide is determined by that of the series of
which it forms part. But a number of volumes by different writers are
never likely to be quite uniform in character, even though planned on
the same lines; and it seems desirable to explain shortly the aim we
have had in view in writing our own little book. In our accounts of
places of interest we have subordinated the historical to the
descriptive element; and whilst we have related pretty fully in the
Introduction the events of national importance which have taken place
within the county, we have not devoted much space to family histories.
We have made it our chief purpose to help our readers to see for
themselves what is best worth seeing. If, in carrying out our design,
we appear to have treated inadequately many interesting country seats,
our excuse must be that such are naturally not very accessible to the
ordinary tourist, whose needs we have sought to supply. And if churches
and church architecture seem to receive undue attention, it may be
pleaded that Somerset is particularly rich in ecclesiastical buildings,
and affords excellent opportunities for the pursuit of a fascinating
study.
In the production of our book we have used freely such sources of
information as circumstances have enabled us to consult; and in this
connection we wish to make specific acknowledgment of our indebtedness
to C.R.B. Barrett's "Somersetshire," the Rev. W.H.P. Greswell's "Land
of Quantock," and the "Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and
Natural History Society." We have likewise profited by the kindness of
several friends and correspondents, amongst whom we desire to mention
the late R.P. Brereton, Dr F.H. Allen, Mr F.R. Heath, the Rev. C.W.
Whistler, the Rev. E.H. Bates, and the Rev. J.S. Hill, B.D. (the last
especially in regard to the origin of certain place-names). But our
descriptions are, for the most part, based upon notes taken on the
spot. Almost all the localities that are included in the alphabetical
list have been visited by one or other of us: those of any interest,
which from various causes we have failed to reach, can (we believe) be
counted upon the fingers. We cannot expect our work to be wholly free
from errors and omissions, but we have done our best to make it
accurate and to render it as complete as the size of the volume allows.
G.W.W.
J.H.W.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION:--
I. SITUATION AND EXTENT
II. CLIMATE
III. COMMUNICATIONS
IV. PHYSICAL FEATURES AND GEOLOGY
V. FAUNA AND FLORA
VI. HISTORY
VII. ANTIQUITIES
VIII. INDUSTRIES
IX. CELEBRITIES
DESCRIPTION OF PLACES ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY
APPENDIX
INDEX OF PERSONS
SOMERSET
TARR STEPS, EXMOOR
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
MARKET PLACE, FROME
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
ST JOSEPH'S CHAPEL, GLASTONBURY
(_From a Photograph by Mr Walter Raymond_)
GLASTONBURY TOR
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
ALFOXDEN HOUSE, NEAR HOLFORD
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
HORNER WOODS AND PORLOCK VALE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
THE HANGING CHAPEL, LANGPORT
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
LUCCOMBE VILLAGE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
MELLS VILLAGE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
MINEHEAD
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
MONTACUTE HOUSE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
THE GEORGE INN, NORTON ST PHILIP
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
NUNNEY CASTLE AND VILLAGE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
OLD BANK, PORLOCK
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
ALLERFORD
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
SHEPTON MALLET CROSS
(_From a Photograph by Mr Walter Raymond_)
NETHER STOWEY
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
TAUNTON FROM THE RIVER
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
WELLS CATHEDRAL
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
VICARS' CLOSE, WELLS
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Frith, Reigate_)
THE PALACE GATEWAY, WELLS
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
WESTON-SUPER-MARE
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
NINE SPRINGS, YEOVIL
(_From a Photograph by Messrs Valentine, Dundee_)
MAP OF SOMERSET
INTRODUCTION
I. SITUATION AND EXTENT
SOMERSET is one of the S.W. counties of England. On the N. it is washed
by the Bristol Channel; on the N.E. the Avon, like a silver streak,
divides it from Gloucestershire; it is bordered on the E. by Wiltshire;
its S.E. neighbour is Dorset; and on the S.W. it touches Devon. Its
shape is so irregular that dimensions give a misleading indication of
its extent. Its extreme length is about 60 m., and its greatest width
38; but it narrows so rapidly westwards that where it abuts on Devon
its average width is only 15 m. In point of size it stands seventh on
the list of English counties, having an area of over a million acres,
or 1633 square m. It lies between 2° 10' and 3° 50' W. longitude, and
50° 50' and 51° 30' N. latitude. Its population in 1901 was 508,104. It
is one of the few counties which was originally the settlement of a
single tribe, the Somersaetas, from whom it takes its name; and the
fact that "Somerset" (like Dorset) is thus a tribal name is in favour
of its dispensing with the suffix _shire_, though "Somersetshire" has
been in common use since the time of the "Saxon Chronicle."
II. CLIMATE
The climate is mild and equable, though from its diversified surface
the county experiences some varieties of temperature. The seaboard is
warm, but its considerable southward trend gives it a good Atlantic
frontage, which prevents it from being relaxing. Weston is said to be
ten degrees warmer than London. The breezes on the uplands are bracing
but never searching. The Mendips have been considered a suitable site
for a consumptive sanatorium. The central flats are damp. They lie so
low that in places the coast has to be protected by sea walls, and the
prevalence of large "rhines" or drains makes for humidity. The
sheltered vale of Taunton Dean (for the term cp. _Hawthorndean,
Rottingdean_) is warm and sunny. The rainfall is abundant, but, except
in the neighbourhood of Exmoor, cannot be said to be excessive.
III. COMMUNICATIONS
_Roads_.--Everywhere highways and byways are numerous, and some
districts are prodigally supplied with footpaths. With the exception of
Exmoor, which is best explored on foot, even the remotest parts are
accessible to the wheelman. But the cyclist will find the travelling
somewhat unequal. Like the curate's fabled egg, the roads are best
described as "good in parts." Amongst the hills they are firm but
arduous, in the plains easy but soft. The main thoroughfares, however,
can be recommended both for breadth and surface.
_Railways_.--The Somerset railway system is extensive. The G.W.R. (the
chief service of the county) unites Bath with Bristol, and throwing
itself round the N.W. extremity of the Mendips, runs down an almost
ideal track to Taunton and Wellington. A loop from Worle to Uphill
serves Weston-super-Mare, whilst short branches, one from Bristol and a
second from Yatton, afford communication with Portishead and Clevedon.
Another section skirts the E. side of the county from Frome to Yeovil,
and by taking a short cross-country cut from Castle Cary to Langport
unites again with the trunk line near Taunton. From Taunton branches
radiate to Minehead, Dulverton, Chard, and Yeovil. A branch line again
connects Bristol with Frome, and access is obtained to Wells and
Cheddar by a line from Yatton, skirting the W. base of the Mendips as
far as Witham. The S. & D. constitutes a link between the Midland on
the N. and the L. & S.W. on the S. It boldly attacks the Mendips from
Bath, and after clambering over the summit at Masbury, drops down
suddenly to Evercreech, from which point it diverges either westwards
to Burnham (with branches to Wells and Bridgewater), or southwards to
Templecombe. A light railway serves the Wrington Vale, and another
connects Weston with Clevedon.
IV. PHYSICAL FEATURES AND GEOLOGY
There is a prevalent belief that the picturesque part of the West of
England begins with Devon and ends with Cornwall, to which Somerset
is merely a stepping-stone. This opinion is no doubt fostered by the
impression which the tourist derives of the county through the carriage
windows of the "Cornishman." But the considerations that appeal to
the railway engineer are mechanical rather than aesthetic; and,
unfortunately for the reputation of Somerset for scenery, the line of
least resistance is the line of least interest--the dead level skirting
the coast between Bristol and Taunton. As a matter of fact, there are
few districts which afford such a variety of physical features as
Somerset. Hill and valley, cliff and chasm, moor and seaboard, are all
to be found there; and, in addition to its wealth of scenery, Somerset
is rich in antiquities of different kinds; whilst it has also been the
theatre of some of the most stirring events in English history.
The physical skeleton of the county may be roughly described as
consisting of three parallel ranges of hills running transversely
across it--the Mendips and their outliers in the N.E., the
insignificant Poldens in the centre, and the Quantocks and Exmoor in
the W., with the Blackdowns occupying the S.W. corner. The intervening
basins are filled with a rich alluvial deposit washed down from the
hills or left by the receding sea. The _Mendips_ spread themselves
across the E. end of the county in a N.W. direction from Frome to
Weston-super-Mare, where they lose themselves in the Channel, to
re-appear as the islets of the Steep and Flat Holms. On their S.W. side
they descend into the plain with considerable abruptness; and when
viewed from the lower parts of the county, present a hard sky-line,
like some enormous earthwork. On the opposite side their aspect in
general is far less impressive, and towards Bath they lose themselves
in a confusion of elevations and declivities. The main ridge is an
extended tableland, some 25 m. long, and in places 3 m. broad. It rises
to its greatest heights at Blackdown (1067 ft.) and Masbury (958).
Geologically, it consists of mountain limestone superimposed on old red
sandstone, which here and there comes to the surface. Near Downhead
there is an isolated outburst of igneous rock. The Mendips are
honeycombed with caverns, the most notable being at Banwell, Harptree,
and Burrington; and a large one has been recently discovered some 4 m.
from Wells. At Cheddar their W. edge is broken by a remarkable gorge,
in the sides of which caves also occur. The level of the tableland is
indented with "swallet holes," the chief of which are the East Water
Swallet and the Devil's Punch-Bowl. The _Quantocks_ are much less
extensive, though their highest summits rise to a greater altitude.
Like the Mendips, they turn their steepest flank westwards, the ascent
on the E. being gradual; and on this side they are cut by a number of
well-timbered and delightful combes. Few caves have been discovered in
them, though there is one at Holwell near Asholt. W. of the Quantocks
are the _Brendons_ and the highlands of _Exmoor_, the latter extending
into Devon, though their highest point, Dunkery Beacon, is included in
Somerset. Dunkery is 1707 ft. above the sea-level; and other
conspicuous hills in this district are Lucott Hill (1516), Elworthy
Barrow (1280), Selworthy Beacon (1014), and Grabbist Hill. The
Quantocks, Brendons, and Exmoor consist of older rocks than the
Mendips, belonging as they do to the Devonshire series of old red
sandstones. Bordering the Brendons are found the red marls of the
Permian series; whilst between Dunster and Williton, and along the base
of the Quantocks, in the neighbourhood of Taunton Dean, as well as in
some other localities, Keuper and Rhaetic beds occur. The _Blackdowns_
in the S.W. are not quite so elevated as their neighbours; near
Otterford and Chard they consist of greensand, whilst chalk appears at
Combe St Nicholas and Cricket St Thomas. The centre of the county is
alluvial, and beneath it the limestone of the Mendips sinks, coming to
the surface again in the W. only at a single spot, near Cannington. Out
of this central plain rise several isolated, cone-like hills, the most
notable being Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll. These belong to the lias
and lower oolite rocks. The _Poldens_ consist of lias; and the same
formation constitutes the rising ground that bounds the plain on the S.
and E. of the county. The southern side of the Poldens is edged with
Rhaetic beds, which also extend to High Ham. Oolite rocks occur
abundantly near Bath, furnishing the famous Bath building-stone; and
they likewise form the prominent eminence of Dundry. Near Frome they
rest upon the mountain limestone. The same series of rocks occupies the
S.E. corner of the county, extending from Milborne Port to Bruton. On
the E. they are flanked with the Oxford clay, which reaches from
Henstridge to Witham Friary, whilst a ridge of higher ground near
Penselwood consists of greensand. Near Radstock coal is found.
The Somerset sea-coast, though destitute of ruggedness and grandeur,
possesses undeniable charm, at least at its W. and E. extremities; but
it lapses into unquestioned tameness where the sea washes the central
flats. The waters of the Bristol Channel as far down as Minehead are
discoloured; and, with the exception of a range of low cliffs near St
Andries and Watchet and a stony foreshore at Clevedon, there are no
rocks worth mentioning. Brean Down and the North Hill near Minehead are
the only headlands, but notwithstanding this, the watering places of
Somerset are breezy and healthy. Weston-super-Mare in particular has a
high reputation for salubrity, and has long been one of the most
popular seaside resorts in England.
Somerset is peculiarly deficient in large rivers, for the Avon can
hardly be included amongst its belongings, since it is the dividing
line between the county and Gloucestershire. The Parrett is the one
stream of any moment. It is a sluggish and uninteresting bit of water,
rising in Dorset, entering Somerset near Crewkerne, and flowing, when
it meets the tide near Bridgwater, with a wearisomely circuitous course
of some 12 m. before it mixes with the Bristol Channel. The other
rivers, the Frome and Chew, which join the Avon; the Axe, which rises
in Wookey Hole and enters the sea near Brean Down; the Brue and Cary,
which empty themselves into the estuary of the Parrett; and the
Parrett's own tributaries, the Yeo, Ivel, and Tone, are unimportant.
Exmoor is drained by the Exe and Barle, which, when united, flow
southward into Devon.
Such, however, is the character of Somerset scenery that the absence of
water in it is hardly noticed. From what has been said it will be seen
that the county has much in it to arrest the attention of the traveller
who can appreciate quiet beauty, and, as will appear, even more to
appeal to one who is interested in his country's-past, whilst upon the
affection of its sons its hold is indisputable. As one of them
writes:--
"Fair winds, free way, for youth the rover;
We all must share the curse of Cain:
But bring me back when youth is over
To the old crooked shire again.
Ay, bring me back in life's declining
To the one home that's home for me,
Where in the west the sunset shining
Goes down into the Severn sea."
V. FAUNA AND FLORA
The really interesting _fauna_ of Somerset belongs to a past age, when
mammoths, elephants, and rhinoceroses, cave lions, bisons, bears, and
hyaenas roamed over its surface. Their remains have been found in the
caverns of Hutton, Bleadon, Banwell, and Wookey, and are preserved in
Taunton Museum. Of the wild creatures which at present occur in the
county, the only one which confers real distinction upon it is the red
deer, which roams at large on both Exmoor and the Quantocks. Badgers
are not uncommon near Dulverton and in the more uncultivated districts.
The very diversified character of Somerset makes it the home of a large
variety of birds, the Quantocks and Exmoor sheltering many of the
predatory kinds, the long coast-line attracting numerous seafowl, and
the fenny country of the centre affording a feeding ground for the
different kinds of waders. Of the resident species which are
comparatively uncommon elsewhere may be mentioned the hawfinch, the
greater and lesser spotted woodpecker, the carrion crow, the raven, the
buzzard, the hen-harrier, and the peregrine falcon. Among the regular
visitors are included the white wagtail, the pied flycatcher, the
nightjar, the black redstart, the lesser redpole, the snow bunting, the
redwing, the reed, marsh, and grasshopper warblers, the siskin, the
dotterel, the sanderling, the wryneck, the hobby, the merlin, the
bittern, and the shoveller. As occasional visitors may be reckoned the
wax-wing, golden oriole, cross-bill, hoopoe, white-tailed eagle, honey
buzzard, ruff, puffin, great bustard, Iceland gull, glaucous gull, and
Bewick's swan. Visitors that may be supposed to have reached the county
only by accident have scarcely a claim to be noticed here, though
perhaps allusion may be made to an Egyptian vulture seen at Kilve in
1825, and specimens of Pallas's sand-grouse observed near Bridgwater,
Weston-super-Mare, and Bath.[1]
As regards the _flora_ the elevated position of parts of the county
makes it the home of a number of plants which do not commonly occur in
the South of England. Thus there are found on Exmoor the crowberry
(_Empetrum nigrum_), the parsley fern (_Cryptogramme crispa_), and the
oak fern (_Phegopteris dryopteris_). _Asplenium septentrionale_ is
found at Culbone; _Listera cordata_ grows on Dunkery and near
Chipstable; and the cranberry (_Oxycoccus palustris_) is said to occur
at Selworthy and on the Brendons. On the other hand, Somerset likewise
furnishes congenial conditions for those plants that love low-lying,
marshy ground, and on the peat-moors in the Glastonbury district the
flowering fern (_Osmunda regalis_) and the bog myrtle (_Myrica Gale_)
are met with. Within the British Isles the following are found only in
Somerset: _Dianthus gratianopolitanus, Hieracium stinolepis, Verbascum
lychnitis_, and _Euphorbia pilosa. Arabis stricta_ occurs only on the
limestone near Clifton; _Helianthemum polifolium_ is confined to
Somerset and Devon; _Pirus latifolia_ to Somerset and Denbigh.[2]
[1] For the birds of Somerset, see a paper by the Rev. Murray A. Mathew,
M.A., F.L.S., in the "Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological
and Natural History Society," vol. xxxix., from which we have
borrowed.
[2] For fuller information, see "The Flora of Somerset," by the Rev.
R.P. Murray, M.A., F.L.S., from which the above facts are taken.
VI. HISTORY
Somerset gets its name from a Saxon tribe, but its earliest
inhabitants, like those of the southern half of bur island generally,
were Britons or Celts, and the Saxon invasion was preceded by the
Roman. Reminders that the county was once occupied by a Welsh--speaking
race occur in the constituents of many place-names, such as _Pen_
Selwood, _Maes_ Knoll, and the numerous _combes_ (cp. Welsh _cwm_). The
name of the British king, Arthur, is associated with Cadbury (near
Sparkford); and the neighbouring villages of Queen Camel and West Camel
recall the legendary Camelot. The earliest church at Glastonbury
(_Avalon_) is believed to have been of British origin, and it is
Arthur's reputed burial-place. In the dedication of the churches at
Porlock (Dubricius or Dyfrig) and Watchet (Decuman or Tegfan) is
preserved the memory of certain British saints, though these probably
came on an evangelistic mission from the other side of the Bristol
Channel. But of the primitive population the most trustworthy memorials
are the numerous earthworks and other material remains which survive in
various parts of the county, and these will be more appropriately
noticed under another heading (see pp. 20-21).
Of the Roman occupation the traces are more varied. Bath and Ilchester
are Roman towns, and from and through them Roman roads run across the
county. In constructing these, the Romans probably used in many
instances existing British trackways. The principal was the Fosse Way
(as it is called), entering the county near Chard from Seaton, and
leaving it at Bath for Lincoln. Within Somerset it is still a very
important artery of traffic. From near Chard a road is thought to have
diverged from it to the N.W., towards the Quantocks, passing by Castle
Neroche. The Fosse Way was, and is, cut at Ilchester by a road coming
from Dorchester and continuing to Glastonbury, and near Masbury, on the
Mendips, by a second, connecting Old Sarum with Axium (Uphill, near
Brean Down). At Bath it was joined by two more roads, one coming from
London and the other (the _Via Julia_) from Aust and South Wales. The
road along the Mendips was doubtless largely used for the transport of
the lead which was mined at Priddy and elsewhere, and shipped at
Uphill. Somerset, during its occupation by the Romans, seems to have
enjoyed tranquillity, for their villas, pavements, and other remains
indicative of peaceful possession are not confined to the neighbourhood
of their large cities (see p. 21).
When the Saxons made themselves masters of England, Somerset became
part of the kingdom of Wessex. Its subjugation was accomplished in
three stages. The first is associated with the name of Ceawlin, who,
after defeating the British at Deorham (in Gloucestershire), captured
Bath, and by 577 reduced the northern part of the county between the
Avon and the Axe. _Englishcombe_ near Bath recalls this occupation, and
the Wansdyke probably served as a barrier between Saxon and Briton. But
between this conquered territory and Dorset, which was also Saxon,
there still remained in the hands of the Britons a large strip of
country; and from this they were not expelled until the time of
Cenwealh (652), who defeated them in 658 at "The Pens" (identified by
many with Penselwood), and drove them westward to the Parrett. Somerton
now became the capital of the Somersaetas, the Saxon tribe that gave
its name to the county (just as the Dorsaetas and Wilsaetas have done
to Dorset and Wilts). The third stage of the conquest was completed by
Ina (688-726), who subdued the rest of Somerset, forcing the British
(whose king was Geraint) into Devon and Cornwall, and building Taunton
as a fortress against them. _Williton_ and _Willsneck_ (in the
Quantocks) perhaps preserve the name of the defeated Welsh. Ina is
famous for more than his military prowess, for he was the first King of
Wessex to issue written laws for the guidance of his subjects.
During the Saxon period Somerset did not escape the raids of the Danes;
and in the reign of Alfred it was the scene of one of the most eventful
crises in English history. Alfred, after many battles against the
invaders, had at last seen Guthrum their leader retire from Wessex into
Mercia. But in 878, in midwinter, Guthrum suddenly surprised Chippenham
and made himself master of Wessex, and Alfred was forced to withdraw to
the fens of Athelney. To the narrow limits of the "Isle of the Nobles"
the Saxon dominions in the W. were for some months reduced. Here in the
Eastertide of 879 Alfred, in the words of the "Saxon Chronicle,"
"wrought a fortress [of which perhaps the Mump at Borough Bridge is the
site], and from that work warred on the (Danish) army, with that
portion of the men of Somerset that was nearest."[3] Seven weeks after
Easter, Alfred emerged from his place of refuge to join the men of
Somerset, Wilts, and Hants, who had gathered in force at "Ecgbryhtes
Stane" (Brixton Deveril in Wilts). Putting himself at their head, he
covered the distance that separated him from the foe in two stages;
for, halting for the night at "Iglea," the next day he defeated the
Danes at "Ethandune," and then besieged and reduced their fortress or
fortified camp. Guthrum, after his defeat, was baptised at Aller; and
at Wedmore subsequently a treaty of peace was concluded between him and
Alfred. The site of the battle of "Ethandune" is unfortunately
difficult to determine. There is an Edington in Somerset on the Polden
Hills; and the fact that the battle was followed by Guthrum's baptism
at Aller and the treaty at Wedmore (places near the Somerset Edington)
is in favour of this being the scene of the encounter. Those who accept
this identification assume that the Danes had moved from Chippenham to
the Poldens, and here, whilst watching Athelney, were taken in the rear
by Alfred, whose single night-halt at "Iglea" on the march from Brixton
Deveril is placed at Edgarley, a locality near Glastonbury.[4] But the
distance between Brixton Deveril and Glastonbury seems too great to be
accomplished by a large body of men along indifferent roads in a single
day; and by many authorities "Ethandune" is identified with Edington,
near Westbury, or Heddington, W. of Melksham, both in Wilts. However
this may be, it was from the Somerset marshes that Alfred issued forth
to his victory, and it was at a Somerset town that he secured the
fruits of it.
The importance of Somerset during the reign of the Saxon kings who
succeeded Alfred is evidenced by the many noteworthy incidents that are
connected with its chief city, Bath, and its great abbey of
Glastonbury. It was at Bath that King Edgar was crowned in 973; and at
the same place at a later date (1013) the Danish king, Sweyn, received
the submission of the western thegns. At Glastonbury were buried three
of the Saxon kings, Edmund (son of Edward the Elder), Edgar, and Edmund
Ironside. Here too was born Dunstan, who was so prominent an
ecclesiastic in the reigns of the first Edmund and five of his
successors. He was made abbot of the abbey by Edmund, and, after
becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, was buried at Glastonbury (988). Two
other Somerset men who filled the see of Canterbury during the Saxon
period were Ethelgar and Alphege.
Under the Plantagenets the history of the county was not very eventful,
though some localities suffered severely in the disturbances of the
Norman period. In William Rufus' reign it was the scene of several of
the movements directed against the king in favour of his brother
Robert. The powerful baron-bishop, Geoffrey of Coutances, with his
nephew Robert of Mowbray, after seizing Bristol, burnt Bath, but was
unsuccessful in the siege of Ilchester (1088). On the death of Henry I.
Somerset favoured the claims of Matilda, and the castles at Cary, E.
Harptree, and Dunster were held by their owners for her against
Stephen, to the no small discomfort of their respective neighbourhoods.
Castle Cary and Harptree were taken by Stephen, but he seems to have
regarded Dunster (defended by William of Mohun) as impregnable.
In Tudor times Somerset witnessed the attempt made on the throne by
Perkin Warbeck in 1497, who was supported by Lord Audley of Nether
Stowey and other Somerset gentlemen. The pretender advanced from
Devonshire to seize Taunton; but when Henry VII. entered Somerset,
passing in his progress through Bath, Wells (where he stayed with the
Dean), and Glastonbury, to Taunton, Warbeck lost heart and fled. When
captured and brought into Henry's presence he was spared; but the
king's clemency did not extend to his supporter Lord Audley, who was
executed on Tower Hill.
During the Great Rebellion in the 17th cent. Somerset was the field of
many important operations. At the outbreak of war in August 1642, the
royal cause was maintained by the Marquis of Hertford, who was
supported by Lord Powlett, Sir Ralph Hopton, Sir John Stawell, and
other leading gentlemen of the county. But the sympathies of the yeomen
and manufacturers were with the Parliament, and Hertford had to
withdraw from Wells, where he had taken up his position, to Sherborne.
In 1643, however, the king's Cornish army entered Somerset, and was
joined by the Marquis and Prince Maurice at Chard; and the Royalists
then rapidly became masters of Taunton, Bridgwater, and Dunster. To
oppose them, Sir William Waller was despatched to the West, and a
cavalry skirmish between the two forces took place on the Mendips near
Chewton. Waller's main army was posted at Bath; and the Royalists,
advancing by way of Wells and Frome, had another skirmish near
Claverton. They kept E. of Bath and reached Marshfield in
Gloucestershire, 5 m. N. of the city. Then on July 5 Waller gave battle
on Lansdowne Hill, and was forced to retire back to Bath, abandoning a
quantity of arms and stores; but the triumph of the victors was clouded
by the loss of Sir Bevil Grenville, who was killed in the fight. (The
monument to him on the site of the encounter was erected in 1720.) The
next year the king's cause in Somerset was less prosperous, for Taunton
was lost, and repelled all the efforts of Colonel Wyndham, Governor of
Bridgwater, to recover it. In 1645 the siege of Taunton was undertaken
by Goring. The town was defended by Blake, who vowed (it is said) that
he would eat his boots before he would surrender it, but he was saved
from that extremity by Fairfax. On the approach of the latter Goring
drew off from Taunton, and fixed his quarters at Langport, where he was
attacked and defeated. This success on the part of Fairfax not only
saved Taunton, but enabled him to besiege Bridgwater, which was
defended by Wyndham with little resolution, and fell on July 23, within
a fortnight of Goring's defeat at Langport. Fairfax also took Nunney
Castle; and as in 1646 Dunster, the last place in Somerset supporting
the king, also submitted, the entire county passed into the hands of
the Parliament. Dunster was defended by another Wyndham, but he offered
a much more prolonged resistance than his brother at Bridgwater, and
withstood the besiegers for 160 days. After the execution of the king
the small rising in favour of Charles II., under Colonel Penruddock and
Sir Joseph Wagstaff, was crushed near Chard in 1655.
In the reign of James II. Somerset was the soil upon which was fought
the last battle that has taken place in England. In 1680, the Duke of
Monmouth, in the course of a tour through the county, greatly
ingratiated himself with its people; and at Whitelackington held a
great reception under a gigantic chestnut tree, which was standing as
recently as 1897, when it was unfortunately blown down. When in 1685
Charles II. died, and Monmouth made his attempt to disturb the
succession of James, it was to Somerset that he looked for support.
After landing at Lyme, he entered the county at Chard, and passing
through Ilminster, was proclaimed king at Taunton and Bridgwater. From
the latter town (where he had stayed at the castle), he started on his
luckless campaign, which was wholly confined within the borders of
Somerset. He proceeded through Glastonbury (where some of his troops
bivouacked in the Abbey), Wells, and Shepton Mallet, intending to
attack Bristol, but at Keynsham he turned aside on finding the city
defended by the Duke of Beaufort. He threatened Bath, but it refused to
surrender; and he thereupon retired to Norton St Philip, intending to
enter Wilts. There he had a skirmish with the advanced guard of the
royal forces which had marched from London to meet him; and shirking a
more general engagement, he withdrew to Frome. The townspeople of
Frome, like those of Taunton and Bridgwater, gave him their sympathy,
but nothing else; and disappointed at the lack of support, and wearied
with his march along miry roads in drenching rain, he abandoned the
advance into Wiltshire. A report that a rising in his favour had taken
place at Axbridge decided him to return to Bridgwater. On the way he
again passed through Wells, where some of his men tore the lead from
the Cathedral roof to make bullets, and inflicted other damage on the
building. Soon after his arrival at Bridgwater, the royalist general,
Feversham, with about 4000 troops, reached Weston Zoyland from
Somerton, disposing some of his forces at the neighbouring villages of
Middlezoy and Chedzoy. As the royal troops were said to be in a state
of disorder, Monmouth, who had about 6000 men, very badly armed,
determined to attack him by night; and late on Sunday, July 5, he
started from Bridgwater under cover of darkness. But in the passage of
some of the "rhines" which cut up the Sedgemoor plain a mismanaged
pistol gave the alarm; and in the engagement that followed his
ill-equipped followers, though they fought bravely, had little chance
against the regulars, and more than 1000 of them fell on the field. The
battle had a sad sequel for Somerset. James knew no clemency; and
Jeffreys' bloody assize left a crimson trail across the country, which
even time found some difficulty in obliterating. Macaulay estimates
that the number of the rebels hanged by Jeffreys was 320, and though
the assize extended into Hampshire, Dorset, and Devon, most of its
victims were Somerset folk. A certain poetic justice may perhaps be
discerned in the fact that when, in 1688, the Prince of Orange drove
James from his throne, his march took him through Somerset, and he had
a skirmish with the royal troops at Wincanton. In connection with
Somerset's share in the events of James's reign, it deserves to be
mentioned that Bishop Ken, of Bath and Wells, was among the seven
prelates who presented the famous petition against the king's
Declaration of Indulgence.
The ecclesiastical history of Somerset may be briefly related. When
Cenwealh of Wessex (who had been converted to Christianity by the King
of East Anglia) established the bishopric of Winchester, such parts of
Somerset as belonged to the West-Saxon kingdom were included in that
see. Ina divided his augmented territories between two bishoprics,
Winchester and Sherborne, the latter including Somerset, with Wilts,
Berks, and Dorset. The first Bishop of Sherborne was Aldhelm (705), who
only filled the see for four years, dying at Doulting in 709. Ina also
founded Wells, but as a collegiate church of secular canons, not as the
cathedral of a diocese. It was not until 909 that Somerset had a bishop
all to itself, who was styled the Bishop of the Somersaetas, with his
seat at Wells (the first appointed being Aethelm.) In 1088, in
accordance with the policy of removing bishoprics from localities of
little importance, the see was transferred from Wells to Bath, the
bishop (John de Villula) at the same time becoming the abbot of the
monastery. In 1192 Bishop Savaric procured for the see the rich abbey
of Glastonbury, and became its abbot; and he and his immediate
successor, Joceline, the builder of the W. front of Wells, were styled
Bishops of Bath and Glastonbury. In 1224, however, another change was
made, and the bishop took his title from Bath and Wells, as he has done
ever since. Up to the Reformation the title was justified, both the
monks of Bath and the canons of Wells taking part in episcopal
elections; but, with the suppression of its monastery, Bath naturally
lost this distinction.
Of religious houses Somerset possessed a fair proportion. The chief
were Glastonbury, Bath, Bruton, Dunster, Muchelney, Stogursey (which
were Benedictine), Cleeve, Barlynch (Cistercian), Hinton, Witham
(Carthusian), Taunton, Woodspring, Stavordale (Augustinian), Montacute
(Cluniac). The Templars had a preceptory at Templecombe, and the
Knights of St John had establishments at Bridgwater and Mynchin
Buckland (near Durston).
[3] Thorpe's translation.
[4] See a paper on "Ethandune" by the Rev. C.W. Whistler (reprinted
from "The Saga-book"--"Proceedings of the Viking Club," 1898), who
thinks that the Danish fortress may have been Bridgwater.
VII. ANTIQUITIES
The principal antiquities of Somerset may be classified as (1) earthworks
and other survivals of a primitive time; (2) the Roman remains at Bath
and elsewhere; (3) the ecclesiastical and other buildings of the Middle
Ages.
1. The British _camps_ are numerous. They are probably not the sites of
permanent settlements, but were used for defensive purposes in times of
war. The most notable are Worlebury (near Weston), Combe Down and
Solsbury (near Bath), Hamdon, Brent Knoll, Masbury, Dolbury,
Stantonbury, and the three Cadburys (near Sparkford, Tickenham, and
Yatton respectively). Worlebury is remarkable for having a large number
of pits sunk into the ground within its rampart. (Castle Neroche and
Castle Orchard, which have usually been regarded as of British origin,
are now thought to owe their fortifications to the Normans.)
The remains of _megalithic circles_ occur at Stanton Drew. There are
_barrows_ at Stoney Littleton, Dundry, and Priddy. There is a
lake-village of the _crannog_ type at Godney. Other antiquities of
British origin that deserve notice are the Wansdyke and Pen Pits (the
latter near Penselwood).
2. The most interesting Roman remains are at Bath, where a splendid
system of _baths_ has been brought to light. _Villas_ and other
buildings of Roman origin have been discovered at Whitestaunton and
Wadeford (near Chard), Whatley (near Frome), Wellow, Newton St Loe,
Bratton Seymour, Pitney, Camerton, etc. Traces of Roman _mines_ (such
as tools and pigs of lead) have been found at Priddy and Blagdon, and
an amphitheatre at Charterhouse-on-Mendip. Many of the British camps
enumerated above have at different times been occupied by the Roman
legions.
3. The ancient ecclesiastical buildings of Somerset are very
interesting. Some of them, chiefly monastic foundations, are more or
less in ruins--Glastonbury, Cleeve, Woodspring, Muchelney, Stavordale,
Hinton Charterhouse. Of those that are still used for religious
purposes, the most conspicuous are Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey. But
the parish churches, in their way, are almost as remarkable. Their
excellence is largely due to the splendid building-stone which abounds
in different parts of the county, especially near Bath, Dundry,
Doulting, and Ham Hill. Of Saxon architecture Somerset has no example
such as Wilts possesses in Bradford, though some of the ancient _fonts_
may possibly be of pre-Norman origin. The majority of early fonts,
however, are _Norman_, and the number of them shows how thickly Norman
churches once covered the country. But surviving instances of churches
wholly or mainly Norman are rare: the best examples are Compton Martin,
Christon, and Stoke-sub-Hamdon. There is herring-bone work at Elm and
Marston Magna. Of Norman chancel arches and doorways retained when the
body of the church has been re-constructed the examples are numerous;
noteworthy are those at Glastonbury, Milborne Port, Stoke-Courcy,
Lullington, Huish Episcopi, Portbury, St Catherine, South Stoke, Flax
Bourton, Langridge, Clevedon, Chewton Mendip, Englishcombe. Wells
Cathedral contains some splendid _Transitional_ work, of which there
are also specimens at Clutton. Complete churches of the _Early English_
and _Decorated_ periods are few, but many buildings preserve specimens
of these styles in combination with work of a later date. The W. front
of Wells is a beautiful example of E.E., and windows of this period
occur at E. Stoke, Bathampton, Chedzoy, Martock, Keynsham, Somerton.
There are E.E. arcades at St Cuthbert's, Wells, and further
illustrations of E.E. work are furnished by Compton Bishop, Creech St
Michael, Stoke St Gregory, etc. Decorated windows are found at
Ditcheat, Compton Dundon, Huish Champflower, Shipton Beauchamp,
Barrington, Montacute, Brympton, and very fine ones in the choir and
lady chapel at Wells. In many parish churches the chancels have been
retained when the rest of the building was reconstructed, with the
result that, whilst they often preserve early work, and are accordingly
of the greatest interest, they appear relatively to their surroundings
insignificant and mean.
But it is in _Perpendicular_ churches that Somerset is richest; and
examples of this style are too abundant to require to be cited. It is,
indeed, a source of wonder that funds and skilled workmen were
forthcoming in sufficient quantity to erect or rebuild so many churches
within a comparatively short period. It was upon the _Towers_ that the
greatest skill of the Perp. builders was lavished. They are generally
lofty, are often beautifully crowned with pinnacles and embattled or
pierced parapets, and not unfrequently abound with niches and statuary.
The quality of the tracery, however, varies with the stone employed;
and the towers W. of the Quantocks are, as a rule, inferior to those of
the centre and east of the county. Most have large external
stair-turrets (commonly at the N.E. or S.E. angle), which, when carried
above the parapet and surmounted by spirelets, add dignity to the
plainer structures, but which are less appropriate where the pinnacles
are sufficiently prominent and graceful to give of themselves an
adequate finish. In the case of some of the finest towers the staircase
is wisely suppressed before reaching the summit. In most instances the
tower is at the W. end, and is square; but a few churches have
octagonal towers, which are usually central (S. Petherton, Stoke St
Gregory, Doulting, N. Curry, Barrington). _Spires_ are comparatively
rare, but they occur at E. Brent, Congresbury, Bridgwater, Croscombe,
Yatton, Pitminster, Castle Cary, Frome, Worle, Whatley, Porlock.
The classification of Somerset Perp. towers has often been attempted,
perhaps most successfully by Dr F.J. Allen, with whom the late R.P.
Brereton was in general agreement. By these careful observers they are
grouped according to the number and character of the windows inserted
in each stage. Adopting their principle of classification, though
arranging the order of the classes rather differently, we should
separate the best towers (viz. those that have _two_ or more windows
_side by side_ on the W. front) into two main divisions, according as
(I.) perpendicular, (II.) horizontal lines predominate. The first
division (I.) has the windows of the belfry stage (_three_ or _two_ in
number) prolonged as panels into the stage below. The group is a small
one, but includes, perhaps, the finest towers in the county (Batcombe,
Evercreech, Wrington, St Cuthbert's, Wells). The second division (II.)
has the stages clearly marked off by string-courses or horizontal
tracery, and may be subdivided into subordinate classes according as
there are (i.) _three_ windows in _two_ tiers, the belfry and the stage
below (Mells, Leigh-on-Mendip, Ilminster); (ii.) _three_ windows in
_one_ tier (belfry) only (Bruton, Shepton, Cranmore, Winscombe,
Banwell, Weston Zoyland, etc.); (iii.) _two_ windows in _three_ tiers,
the belfry and two stages below (St Mary's, Taunton); (iv.) _two_ in
_two_ tiers, the belfry and one stage below (Chewton Mendip, St John's,
Glastonbury); (v.) _two_ in _one_ tier (belfry) only (St James',
Taunton, Bishop's Lydeard, N. Petherton, Staple Fitzpaine, Huish
Episcopi, Kingsbury Episcopi, Ile Abbots, etc.). A few towers have only
one window in the belfry stage, but two in the stage below (Hemington,
Buckland Denham). Among the towers with a single window in the belfry
should also be noticed a few where the window is long enough, or placed
low enough, to break the string-course that divides the topmost stage
from the one beneath (Hinton St George, Norton-sub-Hamdon, Shepton
Beauchamp, Curry Rivel).
Many Somerset churches are remarkable for their carved pulpits and
churchyard crosses, or for their woodwork. Fine _stone pulpits_ are
found at Kewstoke, Hutton, Wick St Lawrence, Worle, Locking, Loxton,
Shepton, Cheddar, St Catherine. _Crosses_ with carved heads or shafts
survive at Bishop's Lydeard, Crowcombe, Spaxton, Doulting, Broadway,
Barton St David, Chewton Mendip, Stringston, Horsingtoo, Wedmore. Fine
_screens_ are to be found at Dunster, Norton Fitzwarren, Long Ashton,
Bishop's Lydeard, Long Sutton, Halse, Minehead, Banwell, Croscombe,
Kingsbury. There are carved _oak pulpits_ at Trull and Thurloxton;
remarkable Jacobean pulpits at Croscombe and Long Sutton, and quaint
_bench ends_ at many places, especially at Bishop's Lydeard, S. Brent,
Trull, Crowcombe, Spaxton, Milverton, Bishop's Hull, Stogumber,
Broomfield. The finest _wood roof_ is at Shepton Mallet; there are
others of great merit also at Somerton, Long Sutton, Martock, St
Mary's, Taunton, Evercreech.
Good examples of _ancient glass_ occur at Trull, Nettlecombe, Curry
Rivel, Winscombe, Broomfield, E. Brent. Interesting _brasses_ are
preserved at Banwell, Hutton, Middlezoy, Tintinhull, Yeovil,
Dowlishwake, St Decuman's, Beckington, Bishop's Lydeard.
Besides its stately churches, Somerset possesses some interesting
specimens of mediaeval and Tudor _domestic architecture_. Amongst the
best are Lytescary, Meare (fish house), Martock, Clevedon Court, S.
Petherton, Barrington, Brympton, Dodington, etc. Ancient _hostelries_
survive at Norton St Philip, Glastonbury, and Dunster. _Castles_ are
infrequent in the county, the chief remains being at Taunton, Dunster,
and Nunney, and a few fragments at Stoke-Courcey, Harptree, Farleigh
Hungerford, and Nether Stowey.
VIII. INDUSTRIES
Somerset is _par excellence_ an agricultural county. With the exception
of its share in Bristol, it has no large manufacturing centre. Its
commercial insignificance, however, is quite a modern characteristic.
It once took a leading place in the manufacture of cloth, and its
productions were held in high esteem. Dunster, Watchet, and Shepton
were especially noted for their fabrics. Many quaint country villages
were once thriving little towns, and almost every stream had its string
of cloth mills. The introduction of steam, and the more enterprising
spirit of the North, stole the trade, and this former era of prosperity
is now hardly remembered. Cloth mills, however, still survive at Frome,
Tiverton, and Wellington. Collars are made at Taunton; gloves are
stitched at Yeovil and Martock. There are shoe factories at Street and
Paul ton. Crewkerne manufactures sailcloth. Chard has a lace factory.
Frome possesses a large printing establishment and art metal-works.
Bridgwater, besides abounding in brick-fields, is the only seat in the
country of the bath-brick, industry. Coal is extensively mined in the
Radstock district, and iron used to be obtained from the Brendons,
though operations now seem to have ceased, and the mineral railway
which brought the ore to Watchet for shipment is now disused. Quarries
are numerous. The Mendips in the N., Street in the centre, and Ham Hill
in the S., all afford plenty of material for the stone mason. There are
large breweries at Shepton, Oakhill, Frome, and Wiveliscombe. Paper is
made at Wookey, furniture is manufactured at Yatton, and there is a
large bacon factory at Highbridge. Extensive orchards in the
neighbourhood of Glastonbury and Taunton feed a large number of cider
presses. In the agricultural world Somerset is chiefly known as a
grazing ground. It is especially renowned for its cheese. Cheddar
cheese is held universally in high repute, and the "pitch" of cheese at
the Frome annual fair is said to be the heaviest in the kingdom.